Since 1983, the William H. Hannon Foundation has been making grants in the greater Los Angeles area. As we begin to gain a deeper understanding of Hannon grantmaking, these are the two facts that stand out the most:

Hannon Cares About More than Just the Catholic Church

You might be inclined to write the Hannon Foundation off as a “Catholic grantmaker,” but that would be a rush to judgment. Supporting Catholic churches and schools is just one of the foundation’s four missions. It supports public and private elementary schools, high schools, and universities in the Los Angeles area. It also aims to address the needs of disadvantaged, sick, elderly, and homeless residents and promote health care and human services programs to those unable to afford quality care.

For example, the Hannon Foundation awarded grants to three social services agencies at the end of 2013. One grantee, Outreach Concern, provides counseling services at economically disadvantaged in Los Angeles. Painted Turtle is 173-acre camp and medical facility just north of Los Angeles that served children with chronic and life threatening illnesses. And Para Los Ninos provides early education programs to over 1,600 children in Skid Row, Pico Union and East and South Los Angeles. Earlier in 2013, the Hannon Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to St. Anne’s Home for Women and Children to support the construction of a new Permanent Affordable Supportive Housing complex in Los Angeles.

“These social service agencies represent the broad spectrum of organizations the William H. Hannon Foundation’s Board of Directors likes to support. Some of these organizations have longtime ties to our Foundation, going back to when my late uncle, William Hannon, was alive, but they also share in common a focus on helping young people excel either academically or socially,” said Kathleen Hannon Aikenhead, President of the William H. Hannon Foundation

Unsolicited Grant Applications Are Welcome

There is no formal grant application to apply for a Hannon grant, but you will need to follow a few basic guidelines. Only public nonprofit charities in the Los Angeles area are considered. Grant requests are not considered for individuals, underwriting parties, travel funds, advertisements, the advancement of political agendas, and radio or TV programming.

Put your request in a letter and make sure to include the following items:

A brief history of the organization

A list of Board of Directors or Governing Board

A copy of the organization's 501(c)(3) designation by the I.R.S.

A description of the project including the objectives and evaluation process